Pobtable hand-opebated flat platen



H. A. FOOTHORAP' Aug. 9, 1927.

PORTABLE HAND OPERATED FLAT PLATEN Filed May 5, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J elf l new ENITL (I /hora g H. A. F'QOTHORAP PORTABLE HAND QPERATED FLAT PLATEN Filed May 3. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q g a .ZZarrY, Z. Foo/horap Aug. 9, 192?. 1,638,192

H A, F'QOTHORAP PORTABLE HAND OPERATED FLAT PLATEN File'd May 5. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 1 I I .wmgllll I H iiilfl l lnmmu Illll H m Haj M: F0 Ofh 07 3p Aug. 9, 1927. ,638,192

. H. A. FQQTHQRAP PORTABLE HAND OPERATED FLAT PLATEN Filed May 5, 1924 FIG. 7.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 311mm 1 Tom 12%); i 'y 252: fi'oofllol 11 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED snares essaaz PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. FOOTHORAP, 0F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ELLIOTT- FISHER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PORTABLE HAND-OPERATED FLAT PLATEN.

Application filed May 3,

This invention relates to an improved portable platen for typewritingmachines of the down strike type.

The object of the invention is to produce a flat platen of such simple, inexpensive and eflicient construction that it will respond to the general requirements of a portable platen operated entirely by hand and highly eflicient for the secure retention and rapid placement. displacement and replacement of the work elements.

. Another object is to produce what may be known as a three point suspension drop platen, by which is meant a platen vertically movable to secure and release the work and supported at three points having a triangular arrangement calculated to prevent any tilting of the platen in any unintended direction.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a platen of this character of the simplest, most inexpensive construction for either production, assembly or repair.

Other objects subordinate to those enumerated will appear as succeeding description is developed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofa platen con structed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the platen depressed.

Fig.4 is a bottom plan view with parts of the frame broken away.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through the left hand side of the platen.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the members.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of aportion of one side of the platen showing the relation of the platen key and latch.

. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the latch.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of a portion of the opposite side of the platen designed to show the mannerof mounting the platen support. p

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of one of the elastic feet of the platen, and

Fig. 11 is aplan view of the same.

The platen with which the present invention is concerned is intended to constitute a part of what is known as the Elliott- Fisher billing and bookkeeping machine.

1924. Serial No. 710 .808.

This machine may be generically described as a flat platen typewriter equipped as usual with printing. mechanism and also embodying calculating mechanism with which my present invention has no concern. In this machine the work elements or sheets are supported in a flat spread out condition upon a fiat platen over which the printing mechanism travels for letter and line spacing. Ordinarily the platen and its equipment constitute a comparatively complicated. expensive and heavyunit of the machine; it is usually carried, therefore, by a special stand of rigid construction equipped with treadles or other operating devices by means. of which the platen and its equipment are operated by foot.

It the purpose of this invention to produce this platen unit in comparatively 1118K? pensive portable form requiring no operating means except a single hand operated key, and adapted to be more readily moved from place to place and to be carried by any ordinary support; as for-instance, atable or desk. F

To this end. a simple platen frame 1 is provided. This frame is compo ed of side members 2xand 3 having integral racks 4 formed in their upper edges and transverse members 5. 6 and 7 which retain the side members 2 in parallel relation to supportthe usual superposed structure which is geared to the platen frame by means of the racks' l. The'frame 1 is of metal and at its rear ends are located machine stops 8 designed to'arrest the writing mechanism when'itmoved backv from over the platen 9. The platen 9 fits within the substantially square front compartment of the frame defined between the side rails and the members 5' and 6 and. is customarily a metal plate having a rubber cover or facing 10. Overlying the side edges of the platen. are two comparatively: narrow clamping plates 11 and 12 which in this instance are inset in the inner taces ot the side members 2 and 3, as indicatedat 13. The work elements are clamped against one or both of these clamping plates. though usually most of this retention is effected along the left hand marof the sheets by the clamp 11.

The platen which is of a type known as drop platens is designed to be depressed 'or dropped to release the sheets and to be raised again in clamping relation to the plates to again secure the work after its replacement or adjustment. The mechanism I have devised for accomplishing this result, in this particular instance, is unique. At the right hand side and about midway of the length thereof is located a. platen supporting member 14 having a roller 15 contacting with the under side of the platen, two spring retaining hooks 16 for the attachment oftwo springs 17 and a shank 18 which extends from a point bet-weenthe hooks 16 and the roller 15. The shank 18 is provided with a head 19 accommodated in an opening 20 in the frame member 2 of somewhat greater 7 diameter than that of the head to permit a limited swinging movement of the member lefrom an axis defined by a pin 21 passed horizontally through the head 19 with its projecting ends accommodated by concave pin seats 22 in the outer face of the frame member 2. Attention is directed to the fact that this method of mounting the platen supporting member 14 not only permitssaid member to swing slightly but contributes to a very low construction and assembling cost since it is readily'placed in position by passing the head of the shank 18 through the opening 20 and inserting the pin 21 through the head. of the .shank. Necessity for any further retaining means is obviated because the power of the springs 17 is exerted both todraw the pin 21 into its seat and to retainthe' member 1 1 in proper position to effectively support the platen.

Adjacent to the opposite side of the platen frame is a squared rock shaft" 23 having trunnion ends 24 accoimiiodatedby bearing recesses 25formed in the inner faces of the frame iriembers 5 and 6. These bearing reicesses 25 are of right angular form and'have their ends opening through the bottom edges of the frame members. This construction permits the trunnions 24 to be passed up between the frame members in the vertical portions of the bearing recesses and then- ,means of two bifurcated arms 26, the bifurcation being formed to fit the contour of the sha -ft andthearms being extended from the shaft toengage a'pair of hangers 27 dropped from the platen at its lefthand edge and having heads 28 which. prevent the hangers from pulling through the'platen and'elfect their retention without separate securing devices.

"The lower end of each'hanger 27 is bifurcated to receive one of the arms 26 and its lower end is bent up to form a bearing 29 for a pin orroller'30 against which the arm .26 bears when the shaft 24 isrocked to drop.

or depress the platen 9. These bifurcated arms 26 are provided with spring retaining hooks 31 for the attachment of the springs 17 diverging across the frame from the member 14; and since these arms straddle the shaft 24: the springs serve to retain the arms ber 14 upwardly to clamp the platen against the under side .of the clamping member 12 and. will, in like 111(1I1IlG1, l3611Clt0 rock the shaft 24 in a proper direction "to-elevate the arms 26 and cause them, through the hangers 2", to hold thelefthand edge of the platen against the clamping member .11. The springs,therefore serve not only to retain the elements of the platen controlling. mechanism in their assembledpositions but also serve to yieldinglyretain the platen in its elevated position under sufficient force to insure the effective clamping of anywork sheet or sheets which maybe iinterposedbetween the platenand a clamping member. I

The structure asthns fari'ccitedis com' plete in one" aspect silice obviously {the platen may be depressed by the hand of the operator upon the application. of sii'liici'ent force to overcome the springs 1?. =11 is conteinplated, however, to provide a more. con" venient mode of depressing the platen. This is accomplished by mountings. platen de pressing key 32 at tliieenter endof a platen depressing lever 33"8Xt'3i1d66l.tlllOllgll an opening 34 injtlie frame member and lia-ving an opening 35 correspondingtothe form of the square rock shaft 23 and designed to' be slipped upon the latter before the trunk -nions 2 1 are passed into the bearing recesses 25. The key 32 which'is located beyond the left hand side. of the frame adjacent to the front end thereof may be convenieiitlyjde pressed by the operatorto rock .the' shaft 24t downwardly to draw down or depress the for the purpose of swinging tlie-arms 26 left hand side of the platenf. During th-is. movement ofthe platen the-mounting of the member 14per'mits itto yield. sufiiciently to accommodate the platen movement and while the main separation occurs between i the platen-and the left hand clamping member- 11, since it is here that most worksheetsare;

retained, more or less separation will take place between the platen-andthe right hand clamping member 12 to permit, if desired the insertion of one orinore work elementsbetween the platen' and the clamp ,at'the right hand edgeof the'pliltoln Upon the re'- lease of the key 32 the s 3i 'ings 17will re tract the parts, in an obvious ir'iaiiner, to

ill

elevate theplaten and securely grip any work elements passed under the clamps.

Sometimes, however, it .is desirable to retain the platen in its depressed position. For this purpose a latch 3b is pivoted at Prion the member 1 of the frame and formed with a jaw 38 designed to span the lever 33 when the latter depress d. In the normal elevated position of the lever the latch engages the side face thereof and is retained in noninterfering relation, therewith, notwithstanding the constant pull of a. spring 39 secured to the lower end of the latch and to a fixed part of the structure, as shown in Fig. 7,'and operative in the depressed position of the lever 38 to swing the latch into position to hold the lever down. A handle or finger piece 40 projecting from the latch facilitates its withdrawal from the lever to permit the platen to rise under the impulse of the springs 17.

As this platen structure is designed to be readily portable, it is preferably equipped with supporting cushions or fcil. located at convenient points, as for instance, at the ends of the frame bars 5, 6 and 7, as shown in Fig. 1. These cushions are preferably of rubber cut out to lit the frame bars and of a proper cross section to give the requisite resiliency.

It is thoughtthat from the foregoing, the construction, operation and advantages of the platen and its equipment will be clearly understood but I reserve the right to effect such variations and modifications thereof as may come fairly within the spirit of the invention.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a frame and movable platen, of ,three d-epressible platen supporting devices located in triangular arrangement, and operating springs each. common to a plurality of said platen supporting devices to elevate the platen.

2. The combination with a platen frame and a platen, of a, movable platen supporting device mounted at one side of the frame, a plurality of platen supporting devices mounted at the other side of the frame,

springs each operative to urge all of the below its axis and havin its 03 osite end 1 connected to the other platen supporting device at a point above its axis whereby the .pull of said springiwill urge both of to retain the arm said devices to elevate the platen.

l. The combination with aplaten supporting frame and platen, of platen supporting mechanism including a spring and a platen supporting device mounted in I the frame and held in its mounting by the spring.

5. The combination with a platen frame and a platen,of platen supporting mechanism including a platen supporting device having a part seated in the frame, and a spring for moving said device and also serving to hold said device in its seat.

6. The combination with a platen supporting frame and a platen, of a platen supporting device having a pivotal mounting in the frame, and a spring urging said device in a direction to raise the platen and also serving to hold the pivotal mounting of the platen supporting device in place.

7. The combination with a platen frame and platen, of a pair of supporting devices both pivotally mounted in the frame, and a spring retaining the pivotal mountings of both supporting devices in place and acting also to swing said devices on their axes.

8. The combination with a platen frame and platen, of platen supporting mechanism including a platen supporting device passed through an opening in the frame, a pivot member seated in an open seat in the frame, and a spring urging the platen supporting Icjlevice in a direction to seat its pivot mem- 9. The combination with a supporting frame and a platen, of platen supporting means including a rock shaft mounted in the platen frame, an arm carried by the rock shaft, a connection between the arm and the platen, and a spring tending to rock the shaft in one direction and also serving to hold the shaft in its proper position and in proper relation to the shaft.

10. The combination with a platen frame and a platen, of a platen supporting mechanism including a rock shaft, an arm fitted on the shaft, a connection between the arm and the platen, and a spring connected to the arm to retain the same on the shaft and to retain the shaft in proper position as well as to rock the shaft for the purpose of elevating the platen. y

11. The combination with a platen frame and a movable platen, of platen supporting devices movable on horizontal, axes, and a spring connected to both of said devices but at opposite sides of the axes thereof.

12. The combination witha platen frame and a movable platen, of aplaten supporting device mounted to rock in the frame, a plurality of platen supporting devices at the opposite'side of the frame, and a plurality of springs each connected to the platen lflO 13. The combination with a frame and movable platen, of rocking platen supports 1 mounted in the frame and having operative engagement with the platen at triangularly I related points, and operating springs each common to a plurality of platen supports.

' 14; The combination with aplaten frame and platen, of platen supporting mechanism including a single supporting device atone side ofithe frame, a rock shaft, arms fitted and the Cplaten, and a pair of springsboth connecte to the platen supporting device 0n the shaft, connections between the arms and each connected to one of the arms on the shaft, said springs tending to. move the platen supporting devices in a directionjto elevate the platen.

In testimony whereof I' hereunto .afiix Z0 HARRY A. FOO ri-IORM 7' signature. 

